The rooftop of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a concert and theater venue in Florence, got its share of Scandi cool vibe on Wednesday night as Sunflower decamped to the city for a show that was all about capturing the idiosyncrasies of youth culture.
It’s not unusual for the brand’s cofounders Ulrik Pedersen and Alan Blond to take their collections on the road, to bigger stages than their hometown of Copenhagen, but a sunlit (and very hot) Florence at dusk made for an exceptionally unusual backdrop to the brand’s carefree and rock ‘n’ roll energy.
Interestingly, Pedersen ticked the box on many of the trends seen at the Pitti Uomo fairgrounds throughout the previous two days: the Herrington jacket, the workwear suit, the distressed leather outerwear (gorgeous, if you are wondering), and leather-collared cropped blousons.
Relying on his knack for twisting menswear archetypes into desirable garments, he incorporated a decidedly edgier spin, telegraphing the sense of freefall that seems to apply to these times, especially for younger kids figuring out how to navigate the world.
Take, for example, the Canadian tuxedo that opened the show, layered under a flowing topcoat with broad shoulders, or the flared, 1970s-inspired office pantsuits paired with crinkly madras shirts in offbeat neon colors — they seem to already belong to Gen Zers who don’t bother about conventions. There was a subversive undertone also to the shrunken leather jackets and aviator bombers worn with loose workwear jeans and leather pants, or the pajama-inspired sets in liquid-looking silk swathed in blazing crayon shades.
Pedersen may not be after fashion thrills, but there’s nothing dull about his pragmatic, wardrobe-building approach, which manages to resonate and align with looks that you would see in the streets of Copenhagen, but also Paris and New York.
“We want to take out all the posh of a fashion show. For us, it’s [all about] a good mood, good music, nice people — and hopefully a beer,” Pedersen told WWD during a preview a few days ago. The latter was indeed served to guests enjoying the standing-format show as Copenhagen-based musicians August Rosenbaum and Jakob Littauer played the soundtrack live.
Isn’t fashion becoming an entertainment industry, after all?
